Hannah

31

Turning up the talk radio just enough that Holland and Caspian could have a quiet conversation together without disturbing the others, Holland asked the dragon if he was able to see anything inside the Green Man's head. Curious to learn more about their newest companion.

Caspian shook his head. "Only his Aura, which is more than enough to tell our new friend has not known a kind life." Caspian had only seen a single other Aura like this before, his father had sent him and his brother Xufexufe to deal with a pack of rogue wolves squatting on their land. The wolves had been easy enough to deal with. The omega they had kept as a slave was the most broken person Caspian had ever met. Aspen's Aura was even darker than Thalia's had been.

Holland looked at Caspian, he might be older than Holland, that didn't make him old for a dragon. Caspian wasn't good at keeping his feelings off his face. Whatever he could read from the forest fae, it was bad. Holland was focused on the road, he did manage to steal looks in the rear view mirror at Max, Hannah and Aspen. Caspian was turned around and staring at them as well. He turned to look at Holland, "Glad to have you by my side to protect them." He told the wolf. Honest and true.

Holland nodded. "Right back at you." There was an awkward pause between the two men who both felt like it was their duty to protect their mate and her mates.

"Your family seem like good people, a few brothers excluded." Holland agreed with Caspian, wishing Hannah's first meal with a pack, meeting his family had of gone smoother. That his brothers hadn't ruined it. Holland didn't blame Caspian for removing Hannah from breakfast. He was about to tell the dragon as much. Trying to get ahead of the worry he could sense from the dragon.

"Do not trust any who claim to be my kin." Caspian said before Holland could again apologise for his own family. The wolf could tell Caspian was deadly serious about his warning. Instead continuing to whinge about his family Holland closed his mouth and nodded.

"Heard and understood." The tires continued to roll down the highway. Bringing them closer and closer to their new home. "I should have killed him." Holland couldn't help but regret trying to make sure Carson suffered instead of a clean end.

"The amount of magic Carson had to use, was beyond dangerous. Carson was the worst kind of human. There was nothing good hidden within him. His access to magic users makes him a universal problem. He doesn't know anything about Hannah, not her full name, not her birth date, parents names. He set the entire party tonight up, making sure it was the best contract and payday she ever had to make sure she showed up where he was waiting for her." Caspian and his dragon too proud to admit that most of their work to maintain his father's control had been as part of the rescue teams. Minimal heroics, lots of carrying injured people to safety. That when he had seen Hannah being chained and bound against her will. He had froze. Holland had taken control of the situation, run the rescue. Holland could lead.

Every snide remark that Caspian had heard from his father ran in circles through his head. How he wasn't a leader. That he only reason he got to live was because he had been born with a dragon linked to the old world. The dying magic his father, and his before him, and generations before that had used to carve out the largest dragon territory on Earth. Maintained with garrison establishments at regular intervals around the entire boarder. The moment there was trouble at any single location, the hive mind of the dragon memories would alert everyone else.

It had been a foolproof way to ensure allies always arrived where they were needed. That any call was answered. All Caspian's forefathers had to do was keep making more children that could touch the true magic of dragons. It had been easy, for a long time. That time was now history to any alive today. Caspian had been ordered to first find a mate that would be useful, and then he would take over one of the perimeter garrison villages to man his post and sire as many children as possible, however possible.

"I know more about your family than I let on. I know your father is probably going to be a problem, and he isn't likely to let you go without a word." Holland looked behind and saw that Aspen, Max and Hannah were all still sleeping. He could feel that Hannah was asleep, and through her connection with Max he was certain he was truly asleep. If Aspen was faking being asleep, no one had ever looked more convincing than he did cuddled into Hannah. Who had both her arms around him protectively. Hannah leaning back into Max. The urge to protect all of them strong in Holland and Caspian.

"What did your father want from you specifically?" Holland prodded. Right now there were two threats to Hannah. Carson had to die. That was simple. Caspian's family would be more complicated. There had to be some way to negotiate with Caspian's father.

"To choose a mate from his allies, to increase the strength of the house, and then take over one of the garrisons on his border." Holland smiled. One fight that could hopefully be put to rest.

"I think I have a near perfect solution to this problem." Holland was smiling hard if power and allies was all Caspian's father had wanted, then mating Hannah was mission A-Fucking-Accomplished. "In two days you were scheduled to meet the Chisholm Werewolf Clan." Caspian looked at Holland, shocked. Only because he had been doing his best to refrain from looking too deeply into any of his flocks minds. He liked it better when people shared with him on their own.

"Holland Lee Chisholm." Sharing his full birth name with Caspian. "My grandfather's house is where you were going, head of the largest network of werewolves in North America, not sure if you noticed, also great fertility rates. Your father noticed, he is constantly trying to establish more ties with my family." Holland looked back at Hannah, Max and Aspen. "You mated the woman your dragon chose, and she brought with her the ally your Father wants, a business with ties to Damon Black, and a Fae of the forest. Between Hannah being the one your dragon set on, and now being linked with Aspen-" Holland stopped himself. He didn't want to jinx anything yet.

Caspian looked around the car. Thinking deeply on Holland's words. He had been so caught up on Hannah. On his bond to her. That he had neglected to consider the broader facts of his current situation. "I did what my father asked..." His voice was slow, eyes distant as they watched the yellow highway paint lines come towards him in a never ending line. "Just not how he asked. I just need to tell him all that I know now. He cut me off the morning after I claimed Hannah and told him she was human." So much had changed since his father severed him from the family. It seemed almost impossible to think that it had only been last week.

It was the middle of the night. Caspian promised he would contact his family tomorrow. Try and make peace with his father. He would need to compare where Max's pack was, to his father's border. If being joined to Max and his pack could somehow be considered an expansion to his father's empire all the better for placating the crotchety old Dragon bent on maintaining his power and influence.